WP: Relief Suffuses World Views of U.S. Vote ("Thank you, America.")

[Pirate Smile]

Relief Suffuses World Views of U.S. Vote
Most Welcome Return of Bipartisan Government; Russia, China Express Caution

By Molly Moore and Peter Finn
Washington Post Foreign Service
Friday, November 10, 2006; Page A06

PARIS, Nov. 9 -- For Europe and much of the rest of the world, U.S. voters' repudiation of the Bush administration in midterm elections Tuesday and the dismissal of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Wednesday confirmed the widespread view that President Bush and his policies have done more to tarnish America's image abroad and strain its global relations than any other U.S. president in recent history.

The Socialist Group in the European Parliament, the legislative body's second-largest voting bloc, called the election results "the beginning of the end of a six-year nightmare for the world."

The seismic political shift in the United States was greeted in many places less with jubilation than with a sense of relief that Americans had at long last come to their senses.

"It took a while for the Americans to realize who they had elected and the damage he had caused in the world," said Philippe Bas, 56, whose newsstand near a Paris subway stop was stacked with newspapers from across Europe carrying analyses of the election.
That view was echoed in some newspaper editorials and headlines around Europe. In Britain, the headline over the Guardian newspaper's lead editorial read, "Thank you, America."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/09/AR2006110901780.html

[troublemaker]

1. 100% of our military allies are delighted. Russia and China express aprehension

Heckuva Job, George

[Vidar]

12. The free world rejoices. Repressive regimes express concern.

I just can't fathom the pattern here.

[Joe Chi Minh]

13. Who can blame the other superpowers? Things in the US were

going just dandy for them under *!

Realpolitik. All superpowers seem to be infinitely cynical.

[Vidar]

24. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely."

[Xipe Totec]

2. "Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing...

after they have exhausted all other possibilities."

- Winston Churchill

Glad we didn't disappoint them this time. :blush:

[lyonn]

3. No doubt some of our good reputation has been restored

My friend in New Zealand said in 2004 that she and most of NZ wondered how Americans could be so dumb as to re-elect bush. I had no answer for her, surprised me too. These are people that are world travelers and pretty savy.

[yorkiemommie1]

19. all of my foreign born friend couldn't understand it either

they are rejoicing w/ us!

[aquart]

4. I got this headline from a friend in Greece:

"you know how the dems victory played out in europe?

"THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF A SIX-YEAR GLOBAL NIGHTMARE""

[NVMojo]

5. K & R!

[Hekate]

6. We Americans are vastly relieved, ourselves

The coming times won't be easy, but at least sanity is in sight again.

Hekate

[Bhaisahab]

7. Yes. THANK YOU!!!!

and a big congratulations for all the activists in DU who made a difference, even if all they did was vote.

[rodeodance]

8. hey Bush--You and Rove reading this headline over Breakfast?

[Binka]

9. Binka's Headline Fuck Off And Eat Shit Ass Carrots!

That should go well with breakfast!

[Vidar]

11. Thank you, Binka.

[NOLADEM]

10. I would like to thank the world community for their understanding

that Bush does not represent America, and that he was an abberation, a reaction, and that he wasn't an American president that most Americans support.

America is a liberal country.

[Roy]

14. This should be a political ad.

Too bad americans are not as informed as those thousands of miles away.


"Democrats have traditionally had more complicated relations with Russia," said Tatyana Parkhalina, a senior analyst at the Center for Problems of European Security in Moscow. "And our politicians worry that they will pay more attention to human rights, the democratic development of the country and relations with former Soviet republics. They're not happy about that."

Some Chinese analysts also said the Beijing government is worried about potential changes in the way the United States approaches trade relations, noting that Democrats have traditionally been more attuned than Republicans to labor union complaints about loss of U.S. jobs to low-wage Chinese factories.

[Coventina]

16. Not to mention China's ATROCIOUS treatment of the environment

Just heard on the news last night that within 10 YEARS 90% of the world's population of sharks WILL BE GONE.

Why?

The Chinese appetite for shark fin soup.

I FULLY EXPECT the Dems to CONFRONT China on issues like this.

[Roy]

22. I'm sure will

But the DLC I'm sure will resist. Differences like these between the parties never come up in any debate and that I think is unfortunate.
Hopefully a Dem majority will change the conversation.

[gratuitous]

15. After the 2004 election

Wasn't there a website called "I'm sorry" or "We tried"? I seem to recall it was chock full of pictures of people holding up a sign to the world that we had tried and failed to oust Bush and his crooked cabal, and that we were sorry about our failure.

Maybe we should set up a companion site called "You're welcome" or "Thank YOU for your patience."

[donco6]

17. Yes, I remember that.

It was moving. This feeling seems to be the antithesis of that.

[yorkiemommie1]

20. Here 'tis

http://www.sorryeverybody.com/

[eppur_se_muova]

18. "Don't mention it, world. We needed to do it anyway." nt

[NastyRiffraff]

21. We heard from people around the world...

Right here on DU, late Tues. night. I, for one, was touched by the congratulations that poured in from places like Scotland, Canada, New Zealand, Denmark, and others that I can't remember. I can't remember the countrtes, but I definitely remember the sentiments, and I'm humbly grateful for their patience and concern.

[ecstatic]

23. I feel safer travelling abroad now nt

[Cafe Americano]

25. The relief may die

The relief may die soon and be replaced with frustration if Dems don't demand big changes asap.